Tigers chief: New stadium can put us up there with top clubs

Steve Gill.

Published:15:58Wednesday 18 February 2015

Castleford Tigers chief executive Steve Gill believes that the club can compete with the biggest teams in Super League on and off the pitch if the proposed switch to a new ground gets the go-ahead tomorrow.

Speaking on the eve of the Wakefield Council planning and highways committee meeting to decide the application for the Five Towns Park, which will include a 10,000 capacity stadium, Gill emphasised what it would mean to the Tigers.

He said: “For us as a rugby club, it’s massively important.

“It will allow us to generate money and if we’re to get to where we want to be that’s what we’ve got to do.

“We want to be up there with the likes of St Helens, Leeds and Wigan and to get there we need to have a home where we can generate money 364 days a year.”

Gill, who has the backing of 6,000 people who signed a petition in favour of the proposed development on land off the M62 at junction 32, added: “There is no immediate rush to leave Wheldon Road but it costs so much money to make sure it’s safe.

“If we got the new ground, it could be used as a training facility and we wouldn’t have to sell it straight away.

“It would be great to repay Jack Fulton for everything he has done. Jack has fallen in love with the people of Castleford and put £2.5m of his own money into the club.

“But it’s about the people of Castleford as well. I think it’ll also create a feelgood factor for the town. If it is refused I don’t know where, as a town, we’d go from here.

“This is a perfect opportunity to get a sense of pride back in the area.”